Duran Leonard Hearns Hagler

[wmute]

His last 5 fights were the Hamsho rematch, Roldan, Duran, Scypion, and Sibson.

None of Hagler's game plans there were remotely close to the intense, balls-to-the-wall attack that he showed against Hearns.

The Hamsho rematch was the most aggressive Hagler of these fights, and that was still a long ways from the Hearns of the Hagler fight.

Even in the next Hagler after Hearns, against Mugabi, Hagler was more patient for the majority of the fight, jabbing Mugabi silly from the outside, before he decided to break Mugabi down up close in the 9th and 10th rounds.

I agree with this, but the previous post sounded like like Hagler played the moving counterpuncher for the previous years, then woke up one day in 1985 and decided to pressure Hearns.

[ksjb85]

Hearns was above his weight but still a good fighter. At welter, Hearns punished fighters that attempted to get on the inside because they would be directly in range of his punches. I didn't see much skill at all from Hagler in that fight. He simply out lasted Hearns in a brawl. He didn't show any craftiness or boxing ability, he just went for broke and laid it all out there. I take nothing away from Hagler because he did a great job, but i didn't see any ''versatility'' there.

Pound for pound, Hearns was the better fighter. He also wasn't just an outside fight either. His left hook and straight right hand to the body was devastating. Thats why Hearns skill wise is over everyone on the list in my opinion. He could do it all and was the most effective at doing it.

I see what you are getting at though.

im gonna go ahead and disagree with that. Hearns was not an inside fighter by any strech of the word. his 3 major loses come from guys who fought him on the inside. His defense was his offense, which was to keep you away with that long reach until he could nail you with one good one. Leonard, Duran, and Hagler could all go from inside to outside pretty easily in their primes. Hearns was at his best when he was allowed to box on the outside, ex: Duran, Benitez, Cuevas. But when he fought guys who swarmed him he just couldn't take it for too long. Hagler knew that boxing hearns he would lose on points, so he fought him inside so vicously to the point that Hearns couldn't do anything BUT brawl with him. same thing with Duran against Leonard in Montreal. Leonard was getting a boxing lesson by Hearns and realized he was gonna have to get inside, then not too long after that Hearns got KO'd. Benitez slipped all of Hearn's punches but he's the exact oppisite, a defensive fighter who couldn't dish it back and lost becuase of it. if he was more agressive and had a harder punch he might have been able to take Hearns.

[lee majors]

hagler beat all their ass, and didn't have to have a second fight for redemption,leonard vs Duran 2. They never really respected hagler and the fact that they gave him that lost on his last fight/title defend speaks volumes.

[Hearnsz]

hagler beat all their ass, and didn't have to have a second fight for redemption,leonard vs Duran 2. They never really respected hagler and the fact that they gave him that lost on his last fight/title defend speaks volumes.

Hagler lost to Leonard I think
And about the redemption fight of Leonard vs Duran, Leonard also won the 3d match though. If he only won the second I'd agree with you that the first was worth more.
Leonard only lost to one of these guys (Duran, but won twice vs him afterwards)
and one draw to Hearns (but Leonard won the first match).
Hagler only lost once I believe, vs Leonard.
Duran lost vs all.
Hearns lost vs Hagler and Leonard, and one draw vs Leonard.

But I guess the only fighter out of his prime during these fights was Duran. I guess in these fights I'd rank it like: Hagler > Leonard > Hearns > Duran.

But ofcourse the fights vs others also count and that's where especially Duran gets extra credit.

[El Dominicano]

This is a very hard choice imo...
Leonard is my personal favorite but I'm not sure who's the best...
Good and bad things that probably are important:
- Duran's "jungle intensity", thus his power. (also his urge to eat.)
- Leonard's amazing boxing skills (and showmanship.)
- Hearn's height advantage.
- Hagler's impressive record.

Duran was the best simply because he was a natural 140 pounder and the little guy K.O'd big dudes in the MW division! U must understand that Duran was the smaller guy out of the 4 yet he gave them HELL!!

[El Dominicano]

ksjb85 ur WRONG. It was Leonard who decided to go toe to toe with Duran! It was Hearns who decided to go toe to toe with Hagler. Do ur research bro. Leonard b4 the fight told everyone he was gonna beat Duran at his own game remember??? Hearns said it was gonna be a WAR1 he didn't plan on boxing.

[Hearnsz]

I know Duran was 140 natural. But I always figured (I'm probably wrong about this tho) that a brawler like Duran would do better at higher weight. And that height was important aswell. Perhaps Hearns would have done awesome in cruiser/heavyweight...!

[TheGreatA]

I know Duran was 140 natural. But I always figured (I'm probably wrong about this tho) that a brawler like Duran would do better at higher weight. And that height was important aswell. Perhaps Hearns would have done awesome in cruiser/heavyweight...!

Hearns did have a decent career at cruiserweight with several 1st rd KO's. He was getting too old at that point to make a real impact though.

Tommy Hearns had awesome power at any weight. I think he punched harder than Hagler, even at 160.

Hearns' cruiserweight fights:


vs Maynard


vs Ward


vs Lapaglia

[ksjb85]

ksjb85 ur WRONG. It was Leonard who decided to go toe to toe with Duran! It was Hearns who decided to go toe to toe with Hagler. Do ur research bro. Leonard b4 the fight told everyone he was gonna beat Duran at his own game remember??? Hearns said it was gonna be a WAR1 he didn't plan on boxing.

regardless if they wanted to or not, they wren't gonna be able to box themselves out of those earlier rounds with prime brawlers like that. Leonard knew who he was fighting. At any given moment he could've siwtched back to boxing him from the outside, he knew he'd lose based of the earlier rounds and had to brawl with Duran to get himself back in the fight. Hearns shouldn't have brawled with hagler either but he wanted to prove a point and lost also.

[Thread Stealer]

ksjb85 ur WRONG. It was Leonard who decided to go toe to toe with Duran! It was Hearns who decided to go toe to toe with Hagler. Do ur research bro. Leonard b4 the fight told everyone he was gonna beat Duran at his own game remember??? Hearns said it was gonna be a WAR1 he didn't plan on boxing.

Hearns may have said he didn't plan on boxing, but nevertheless, he tried to box Hagler in the middle of round 1. He was having some success in the middle of the round, landing some nice rights and circling Hagler, but Hagler cornered him. Once Hearns got off the ropes late in round 1, his legs were doing a dance and never the same.

Hearns later said he had to fight Hagler to get his respect, otherwise he would've been mowed over.